


Do You Like Roller Coasters?

by LittleJowo



Series: Richard Wolfe: Demon Detective! [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Ambiguously Platonic Cuddling(?), Amusement Parks, Creative Writing Assignment, Drabble, Expanding on an Old Story, Fun-Day Sunday, Gen, Ghosts, Haunted Parks, Humor, Killer Demon Clown, One-Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 19:45:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11088639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleJowo/pseuds/LittleJowo
Summary: Claude takes Richard to a haunted amusement park. Things go wrong, but not exactly in the way you might assume.





	Do You Like Roller Coasters?

Richard had no idea how he had let his sidekick bring him here. One moment he was receiving payment for a solved kidnapping case, the next he was brought to this strange and sinister place. He didn't even remember the ride here, yet his motorbike was parked behind him and his crime-solving demon partner. 

In front of them stood the entrance to the creepiest and most dangerous-looking amusement park Richard had ever seen. There were many old rides and games, all of which had greyed with age and probably neglect. Many had pieces of wood, plastic, or metal hanging off of them. The paint on most structures had completely peeled off, leaving only barely-there stains and rotting wood behind. 

It was "Fun-Day Sunday", a weekly holiday Claude had come up with. This time he'd taken Richard to some abandoned park he knew about, which happened to be halfway between the world of the living and that of the dead. That meant that, while the park existed in the real world, a human couldn't get there without the assistance of some sort of deceased spirit or demon. The concept of an in-between was still an odd one, in Richard's opinion, let alone one that held places like this. It was interesting, to say the least, but also incredibly unnerving. 

Ghosts could be seen flitting about, performing on a rickety makeshift stage with shredded curtains, or climbing up the tracks of an unstable rollercoaster. Tiny goblins and ghouls jumped up and down with nasty little grins, running back and forth from one game or ride to the next. The human received some strange looks from some of them, but was otherwise ignored by the small creatures. 

Nonetheless, Richard did not want to be here. He almost wondered how anything was still operational, but figured he wouldn't like it if he knew. The whole thing gave off some ominous vibes, and he didn't much like the idea of being in a place where nobody else was alive. The demon cackling excitedly next to him did _not_ count under _any_ circumstances. It didn't matter how long they'd been working together; Richard still didn't trust Claude not to pull a dangerous prank. Or to protect him if one of these spirits decided to have him for a meal. 

Before Richard could turn back to his bike and see if he could leave on his own, Claude had grabbed him by the arm and was leading him inside with a "C'mon, buddy! Let's have some fun!" 

Richard soon found himself led through the gate and towards a large structure. There was an incredibly tall ladder, which must have had at least two hundred steps. Next to that was a set of four connected slides that lay side-by-side. Richard could tell that they used to be pink, blue, purple, and green respectively, but the paint was worn away, letting some of the dusty-colored plastic show through. The slides were bumpy, old, and chipped, and they seemed as if they would crash to the ground at any second. 

Claude, while still holding onto Richard, giggled manically before floating them both to the top step. Richard resisted the whole way up, legs thrashing. He didn't mind heights, but he never enjoyed not having something solid beneath his feet. When he was set down, the metal he stood own felt no better than the empty air. He immediately attempted to climb down the creaking steps. Then, mischievous grin still on his face, Claude grabbed Richard once again and shoved him down the slide. 

The terrified wannabe detective yelled out, feeling the entire structure shudder under his weight. His hips smashed against the sides, causing the whole thing to groan each time. 

He eventually made it to the bottom, lungs burning and throat hoarse. His hands shook violently as he unsteadily reached in front of and next to him for anything he could use as leverage to stand himself up. Claude bumped into his back, arms in the air, giggling as he came to a stop. He slowly started to float in the air, legs kicking out and nearly hitting the struggling human. 

"See? Isn't this place fun, pal?" 

This was _not_ Richard's idea of fun. 

[J] 

Richard allowed himself to be dragged to a few other rides, knowing he had no choice in the matter. Even if he resisted, Claude could easily overpower him, despite his smaller size. It was easier to just make the most of this experience and try to enjoy himself. 

This was hard to do when the demon clown teased him every time he scraped himself on a loose nail or fell off a wobbly horse on the carousel. 

Claude soon realized that they didn't get to ride anything fun. Nothing that would make Richard realize just how fun this park _really_ was. He voiced his thoughts aloud, and Richard had half a mind to bolt right then and there; whenever Claude had that look on his face, the one where his sharp green eyes would quite literally light up, it never bode well for the human. 

As if sensing his discomfort, Claude gave Richard a strong pat on the back, making him almost fall on his face. 

"Aw, come on, pal! It won't be so bad," he assured, "If you don't like it, we can move on to the games. There's no way even _you_ could be afraid of those!" 

While Claude was not necessarily trustworthy, Richard knew him not to be a liar. Not a good one, at least. So, deciding this was the best way to get out of even more torture, he hardly hesitated in agreeing to his terms. 

The demon squealed with glee, jumping and throwing his fists up into the air. He immediately ran up ahead, leaving the other to follow with heavy steps. 

Richard should have known that Claude had been talking about the rollercoaster. 

The ginormous loop was bent in a few places it shouldn't be, and some of the tracks had planks of wood missing. The cars were totally stripped of all color, and were instead covered in gashes that tore the metal coating.  The car in front had no doors, and most had no belt or any other security devices. Of course, Claude had picked the front seat, and he patted the spot next to him. 

Richard shakily sat down, groaning when the shoulder bar snapped off its hinges upon being pulled down. 

"Oh, don't worry about it," Claude tried to comfort him. "I can fly, remember? I'll catch you if you fall down!" Richard didn't know whether or not he should believe him. 

A low-caste imp walked stiffly up to the operation panel for the coaster, a slightly irritated look on his face. He looked at the buttons and switches for a while, then pulled and pressed a few, seemingly at random. He then promptly wandered away. 

The rollercoaster instantly started to move, giving a harsh lurch as it began. Claude giggled excitedly, and Richard resisted the urge to hurl. He may not have minded heights much, but run-down rollercoasters with insanely tall hills were exempt from that. And they were slowly crawling up the first—and largest—one. He gripped the sides of the doorless car, his knuckles turning white as the metal dug into his palm. 

 _"_ _Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Jesus Christ Oh God,"_ he muttered the mantra under his breath, preparing for the worst. He had nothing to hold himself to his seat besides the grip he had on the car itself. 

Almost before he realized it, Richard found himself plummeting down the steep hill, the coaster taking a sharp turn before his body even had time to fly off. He screamed as loud as he could possibly manage. Had Claude not put a death grip on his arm, he'd have likely fallen right out the side. Richard didn't even have the mental processes necessary to wonder how the demon was staying in his own seat as the coaster took a variety of turns and dips. 

At some point both men found themselves approaching the humongous loop, and Richard was two seconds away from literally shitting himself. He clung desperately onto the clown as his legs were suddenly flung into the air. He was dangling by nothing more than a deranged demon clown who was laughing his ass off. 

Richard shouldn't have been surprised when Claude fell out of his seat as well. 

Richard screamed louder than ever before, one hundred percent certain he was about to die. Not by the hands of a murderer or a crazed demon, but by an old rollercoaster. He couldn't even find it in himself to be disappointed, far too distracted by the fear that came with the knowledge of impending doom. 

It took him a moment to realize that his train of thought had been going for far too long. Still screaming, he opened the eyes he hadn't realized had been squeezed shut and looked down(up?). 

Claude was indeed still upside down, but he was completely suspended in the air. He was holding onto Richard, despite the fact that the human had been gripping the other for a while now. He simply grinned at Richard, his single sharp fang glinting briefly on the moonlight reflecting from the car racing beneath them. 

"See?" He said, "I told you I wouldn't let you fall." 

Richard could only stare at him in utter shock. He knew that the demon had just saved him, but couldn't for the life of him understand why. Nonetheless, he was grateful when he was slowly floated down towards the ground, away from the still-running coaster. Even after landing, he couldn't bring himself to let go of Claude; his legs were shaking so hard that his knees were knocking together. He felt silly, but didn't really care. He was just glad he didn't have to die in such a lame and stupid way. 

Claude let the other hang off of him, supporting the larger man's weight. He was happy that Richard was trusting him like this, as it was a rare thing to happen, but he felt a little guilty that he'd scared him so badly. Pranks were fun, but only when the receiver got something from it as well. 

He led Richard towards a nearby bench, allowing him to rest and catch his breath. They sat for a while, just enjoying the calmness. It took less than a minute for Claude to disturb the peace, however. 

"Do you want to head towards the games?" 

"I'd like to leave, actually," Richard responded. "That was a bit too much excitement for one evening." 

If Claude was disappointed, he didn't show it. Instead he led the way back to the entrance, a light bounce in his step. Upon reaching the motorcycle, he jumped on and patted the space in front of him. 

Now feeling much better, Richard sat down on his bike. He turned the key and revved it up, loving the way it growled and purred. He slowly pulled out of the parking lot, watching with awe as the surreal purple sky became a more normal shade of dark blue(it was always strange moving from one world to the next; it was incredibly subtle, but beautiful if you were looking in the right places). 

With the moon and stars to help light the way, Richard drove them towards home, only turning on his headlights as they drew closer to town. It was a peaceful, quiet ride, which was a nice change of pace. 

Upon arriving at the old shed Claude called home, Richard turned to find the demon fast asleep. Shaking his head exasperatedly(and wondering how he'd managed to hold on while unconscious), he lifted Claude up like one would a child and carried him inside. He then found his room and laid him gently on the bed, making sure to tuck him in. 

"Seems like we've both had a big day, huh?" 

After that Richard went home himself, hugging his mother in greeting. If she was startled by the show of affection, she didn't mention it. 

Richard then checked on his little sister Cody, who was already sleeping, hugging her little Hawkmon plush. She snored loudly, and her brother laughed quietly in response. 

Richard decided that it was late enough for him to get to bed himself. He brushed his teeth and changed into his sleepwear, then crawled under the covers. It took mere minutes for him to fall asleep. That night he dreamt of silly cartoon characters riding a ferris wheel, only to have it roll away. It was an oddly pleasant dream.


End file.
